Separator.



R. STEIN.

SBPARATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED DBO. 4, 1907.

Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. STEIN.

SEPARA'IOR,

APPLICATION FILED DEO.4,1907. 91 6,625. Patented Mar. 30, 1909. 2SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v 11' J J 6 5 1/3 WITNESSES INVENTOR- Alforneyf 4 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

ROBERT stain, or SEATTLE, wismncron.

samm'ron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 30, 1909.

Application filed number 4, 1007. Sex-151110. 405,107.

To all whom tt may concern:

it known that I, Rosana Srnm, a citinen of the United States of America,and aresident oi" the cit of Seattle, in the county of King and time of.Washington, have invented certain new and uselul I'mproveme'nts inSglparators, of which the illowing is a speci ation.

My invention relates to certain improve merits in separators,particularly adapted for separating ore and has for its primary objectto provide an efficient apparatus of this character wherein thematerials are separated in traveling across the path of a current ofair.

A further object resides in the provision of suitable mechanism by whichthe materials are first segregated by screens and the graded lotsdeposited into separate bins, whereby materials of predetermined size orvolume can be fed for separation by the air.

With the above and other objects in view, to be referred to as thedescription proresses, the invention resides in the structural eatures,arrangement and combinations of parts, hereinafter described and more,

particularly pointed out in the claims hereto annexed.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, 1n which like numerals ofreference indicate like parts throughout the several views: Figurel is aview shown in vertical section of an apparatus constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, andFig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the apparatus, taken on line3-3 of Fig. 1.

eference numeral 1 indicates a suitable casin in the upper portion ofwhich are a plura ity of screens or sieves 2, arranged one above theother and connected at their ends to ri 'd members 3, pivoted at theirupper en s, as shown. These sieves or screens form the grading means ofthe apparatus, the upper screen being of comparatively coarse mesh, andthose below the same being each formed of a finer mesh than thelpreceding one, and at the bottom a solid we 4 is provided, the samebeing secured to'members 3. This grading means is 'swun so as to agitatethe materials deposite thereon by a suitable spring 5, and suitable camwipers 6, fixed to a shaft 7, to

which-power is applied, as by a belt (not shown), said cam wipers beingadapted to engage the depending extension of one of the members 3, asclearly shown in Fig. 1, and swing the grading means in one direction,and said spring returning the grading means to its normal position, asthe wiper moves from engagement with member 3, as will be readilyunderstood.

Screens 2 are set at a suitable inclination, and their lower ordischarge ends project into bins 8, in which the graded materials l arestored. Bins 8 are provided with doors 9, which normally are closed soas to prevent the materials being discharged into the hopper 1'0. Hopper10 has a discharge mouth provided with a suitable gate 11, which may beadjusted to vary the width of the stream of material falling from thehopper. Said gate, as now considered, is supported iorswinging, and onthe projecting end of one of its pivots is provided with a worm gear,with which a worm 11., meshes. Worm 1.1 is fixed to a shaft 1.2, whichis cou led to a suitable shaft 14, arranged to be wit in convenientreach of the operator, by suitable beveled gears, as shown.

Reference numeral 15, indicates a fan, j which may be operated in anydesired manner. Communicating with the outlet 0 ening of the casing ofsaid fan is a pipe 16, aving a valve 16", throu h the medium of whichthe discharge of air through the said pipe is controlled. Pi e 16 leadsto a flared mouth 17 in front of w ich the material falling from hopper10 passes. As now considered, the upper wall of mouth 17 extends to andis secured to said ho per at a point in proximity to the mouth t ereof(see Fi 1) whereby the material immediately upon eaving the hopper issubjected to the action of the air. W1thin the mouth 17 are suitabledeflectors 18, which distribute the air both vertically and horizontallyin an even manner. In the lower portion of easing 1 are bins 19, arraned longitudinally of the path of the air disc arged by the fan, andbelow the same, said bins bein provided with deflectors 20 hinged to theside walls of the bins, so as to be capable of being adjusted more orless over the adjacent bins, as is found desirable to cause the fallingmaterials to be caught in predetermined bins.

In operation, one of the doors 9 is opened, and the contents of its binallowed to discharge into hopper 10. The valve 16 is now operated toregulate the force of the air relatively to the grade of material to befed from the hop er. Then gate 11 being 0 ened, the materia falls insheet form from t e hopper across mouth 17. The lighter materials willobviously be deflectedfarthest in the direction of the travel of the airand be caught in those bins 19 arranged farthest from mouth 17, whilethe heavier particles will be cau ht in the nearer bins, as will bereadily um erstood.

The invention is articularly ada ted for separating gold and otherminera s from sand and powdered uartz or gravel, but I do not wishmyself to e understood as limiting my invention to this articular use.The material to be graded is ed by gravity down an inclined chute 21 andonto a fixed screen 2, arranged directly over screens 2, and suchmaterial as falls through said screen 2 will be graded, as previouslydescribed. The remainder passes from screen 2 and is referably caught ina suitable receptacle or in 22.

l-Iavin thus fully described my invention, what I clltim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. Aseparator comprising a hopper, a gate for controlling the discharge ofmaterial therefrom, means to grade the material, means to control thegraded material wherebv the different grades of material can be dis- 0arged into said hop er one at a time, means to direct air for dischargethrough the material falling from said hopper, means to vary the forceof the air, and means to catch the falling material.

2. A separator comprising a hop er, a gate for controlling the discharge0 material therefrom, a plurality of bins communicating with saidhopper, means for normally preventing material falling from said binslntov said hopper, a plurality of screens arran ed one above the otherand arranged to ischarge each into its own bin, means to direct air fordischarge through the material falling from said ho per, and means arraned lengthwise of t 1e ath of said air and be ow the same for catchlngthe falling material.

Signed at Seattle, Washington this 20 day of November 1907 ROBERT STEIN.

Witnesses:

ELYNE E. WALIN, FRANCES H. RICHARDSON.

